Improvement in metal plates of iron and steel



\ To all 1t-hom 'it inayeoncra.-

@Hunt i v y elle@ time 4JAL/[ns MYERS, Je., o-E WILLIAMsBURe, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No.v 108,042, dated October 4, 1870.

`IMP1ROVEMENT- lN METAL PLATES OF IRON AND STEEL.

t The Schedule referred to these Letters Patent and making part of the samene it knownthat I, JAMES Mums, J1, of wnliamsburg', in the county of Kings and State of New York, have iny'enteda new alidlusefnl Improvement in Homogeneous Steeland Iron. Plates and Sheets;4 and Ido hereby declare` that the following 'is a full,

clear, andexaet descriptionltliereo' which will enable "others skilled inthe art :to make and use the-samc,`

reference being had tothe accompanying drawing formlng partot' this specilcat-ion.

lllgurel is a seetionalyiew of a portion of one of my improved plates. i

Figure 2 is ai sectional view ofV a thinner plate or sheetp` Simi-lar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts,` i

My inventionhas for its object 'to furnish sheets or plates ot' malleable or wrought-iron, which shall be so formed that the interior or core of the plates or 4sheets shall be ordinany malleable or wrought-iron,

and the outer part or envelope shall be of steel, formed p from homogeneousplates or sheets oi malleable'or v wrought-iron, by the conversion of the outer-portions of such plates or sheets into steel by chemical process'es, as hereinafter inorefully described.

llh'ese plates onsheetsare more particularly designed for boiler-iron plat-es, and .for making plow mold-boards, shevel-plows, `andother articles lwhich require to be cut out otplatelmetal,bent and hardened, so that the interorof the article solformed shall have the'toughne'ss anddiiiicnlty of riipturewhich is found in wrought or malleable iron, and, at the same time, the hard and wearing surface ot' steel. rlhis may be done by employing the processes for converting iron into steel descrlbedvin the patent-s granted to lhomas J. Bai-rond annaryi 1, 1867,. and toJ ohn F. Boynton July 16, 1867; `reissued December' 1, 1868.

In preparing theseplates' or sheets', plates or sheets of malleable or wrought-iron ot' any desired thickness are .placed in -a refractory Iretort ft' suitable size, and capable of being surrounded by a flame of heated gas,

y `so that the contents of the retort, when heat is Iapplied by any suitable means, maybe brought to 'about introduced into the retort aforesaid, and passedy over i and around the heated plates or sheets, converting the outer portions of said plates or sheets into steel, the

conversion proceedingprogressively inward as the process is continued. It may lbe continued until' the plates or sheets areconverted throughout into steel', `or it `may be continued so long as is requireto give .the desired thickness to the exterior envelope of' steel,

the interior portions of' the plates or sheets remaining unchanged.

I do not wish to limit myself in the conversion of the outer portions of plates or sheets into steel to any particular process, nor to the use of any particular gas, nor even to gas alone, as it may possibly be found advantageous to effect such partial conversion vby the direct contact ot' solid carbon.

vBy this means I obtain plates and sheets possess ing great advantages for use asboiler iron, and for' j the manufacture of plow incid-boards, shovel-plows, and other articles requiring at the same time strength and hardness. v i

I am aware that reissued LettersPatentNo. 3,222, dated December 1, 1868, were granted the Barrons Patent Steel llanutacturing Company, of' New Yoi-k,

N. Y., assignees of John 1P. Boynton, for improvenient in converting iron into steel, and the invention patentedin said reissued Letters Patent Ido not claim. v

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Pateut- Homogeneous plates or sheets of steel and iron,

the interior or case of which shall be wrought or malleable iron, and `exterior,'f0r any desired thickness, steel, formed from homogeneous plates or sheets oi' wrought or malleable iron, by the conversion of the` .outer portion of said plates or sheets intosteel by chemical processes, substantially as and for the purpose herein described andl set forth. v

' The above specification of my invention signed by `me this 11th day of August, 1869.

. JAMES MYERS, JR.

Witnesses:

GEO. WJ MABEE, JAirms T. GRAHAM. 

